Whats The Difference?

[lock77]

I have recently bought 4 Macaw cichlids. At the start all four had a black spot on their sides, now two have changed to having a long black stripe running the length of their sides. I was just wondering if this is a way of telling the difference between male or female or if there is another reason for the difference?

The 2 macaws with stripes look bigger than the 2 with the spot.

 

[Electric Warrior]

I have recently bought 4 Macaw cichlids. At the start all four had a black spot on their sides, now two have changed to having a long black stripe running the length of their sides. I was just wondering if this is a way of telling the difference between male or female or if there is another reason for the difference?

The 2 macaws with stripes look bigger than the 2 with the spot.

I haven't kept these, so not sure about the stripe, but I think males get a small hump on their head by a certain age.

 

[Wills]

The lines and spots is one way of sexing males get spots and females get lines but that said I have a 4 inch male at the moment who has a line... other ways to sex them

Females have more blue in the face and a smoother profile head line. They also have the blue in the dorsal fin and their fins dont have any real pattern in them. As above they get the line

Males have less blue in the face and grow a nuchal hump. They get some kind of black edging to their scales that create a fishnet like pattern. They get a bit of red in their fins and dont have the blue in the dorsal fin.

Hope that helps - if not post some pics and I should be able to do it

Wills

 

[lock77]

The lines and spots is one way of sexing males get spots and females get lines but that said I have a 4 inch male at the moment who has a line... other ways to sex them

Females have more blue in the face and a smoother profile head line. They also have the blue in the dorsal fin and their fins dont have any real pattern in them. As above they get the line

Males have less blue in the face and grow a nuchal hump. They get some kind of black edging to their scales that create a fishnet like pattern. They get a bit of red in their fins and dont have the blue in the dorsal fin.

Hope that helps - if not post some pics and I should be able to do it

Wills

Sounds about right. The biggest of the 2 with the stripes has a lot more blue around the face and dorsal fin.
Thank you!

Are they hard to breed?

 

[Wills]

Erm not hard to breed but hard to pair up as they are such cow bags... they often fight too much to breed but when they do pair up they do make a nice couple When I say fight though I mean flare and show off and stuff, Im sure you know by now Nics are hardly a tough fish but give it a lot of mouth.

Wills